More photos...

Keep checking... these are still mine, but we'll probably put up some of Joel's soon!

Home Again

Today is our recovery day from travel/jetlag, but I thought I'd post a few "extras." Ciao!

A Wonderful End...

We were sad to see everyone leave, but the workshop was wonderful! I think we enjoyed it as much as our participants did. Our last day, we visited a beautiful walled medieval village with ancient wine cellars and a local organic farm where they make amazing sheep cheese, among other wonderful things. We had what was very nearly my favorite meal of the trip at the farm, which is saying a lot. And of course the adorable great pyrenee puppy- nearly 5 weeks old- won all our hearts! I think everyone was impressed by their own photographs at our "Greatest Hits" slide show.

Joel and I are now in Le Marche and hope to find some treasures to photograph in the area. We are going to a town celebration dinner tonight, which should be a lot of fun... and tasty of course.

Ciao!

Ah... the rolling hills of Toscana!

Here's part of our group shooting "the zig-zag road," which has become a symbol of Tuscany. It is a beautiful spot, I must admit! This was a fun day and we ended up having another wonderful dinner. Tomorrow morning, we'll shoot in the morning, then tour a sheep farm where they are famous for their cheese... we'll get some samples too!

Ciao!

A Beautiful Garden

This is what happens when you hang out with a bunch of photographers! You end up with some silly photos... but we're definitely having fun! And the garden and its grounds were fabulous!

Sunrise

This morning we got up for sunrise and were rewarded with the most spectacular view of the Val d’Orcia yet! There was beautiful fog in the valley which created distinct layers across the rolling green hills- amazing!

This afternoon, we head to a well known estate and garden to shoot during sweet light, to be followed by, no big surprise, another spectacular meal! Our day off yesterday was much needed, actually got some work done...

Ciao!

www.joelwolfson.com

Photos

Ok, so here are some more photos that I wanted to post earlier, but didn't have time. Enjoy!

Ciao!

www.joelwolfson.com

Day 1

This morning we went out with the group to shoot sunrise over the Val d’Orcia. The weather was clear except for some fog in the valley which made for wonderful photos! I think we were all glad we got up early... We also took a guided walk through the town of Pienza (these are photos from our walk).

Tonight, we will visit a small walled village near Pienza and take a scenic drive on some country roads. Tomorrow will also be a busy day! Oh, and for the record, I did not take these two!

Ciao...

www.joelwolfson.com

The Workshop Begins...

Apparently there has been a little confusion regarding the photos I'm posting to the site- they are all mine. I certainly have my own private tutor... and a good one at that :) but unless I state otherwise, the photos are taken by me.

All our workshop participants have arrived safely! We'll have our welcome dinner tonight at one of the best restaurants in town- more fabulous Italian food- with a sunrise shoot in Pienza tomorrow. I think we're doing enough walking because all of my clothes still fit!

Siena

We went to Siena Thursday and although it was overcast for part of the time, the sun came out while a storm was brewing and made for a very dramatic photo. Joel always says- go out during inclement weather to get the best photos. We drove a back way on our return to Pienza through some very scenic hills during the "sweet light" near sunset, another great time to shoot photos! Our workshop participants arrive tomorrow, so I may not be able to post everyday... Ciao!

www.joelwolfson.com

Giardino

Italian gardens are typically very geometric in design like this one. I think this makes them interesting to photograph. As far as flowers, we're seeing climbing wisteria and peonies, and the roses are just starting to open- they all smell nice!

Sunshine!

Finally a sunny day! And we’re back early enough to get out another post. We visited a nearby walled village with a tiny church from the 11th century- so cute! I think Joel got some really nice shots today too. Hopefully we’ll have decent weather tomorrow- we’re off to Siena. Ciao!

www.joelwolfson.com

Tuscan Rooftops

Here’s a view over some rooftops into the valley. This shot was Joel’s idea- to include the lichen covered rooftops for some contrast with the vibrant greens of the Tuscan countryside. Looks like we’re getting a break in the weather today! It’s a sunny morning, hopefully it will last. Our dinner last night was one of our best yet, homemade gnocchi that melts in your mouth! Mmmmm... Ciao!

www.joelwolfson.com

Wine Country

We visited a beautiful walled city complete with a fortress (fortezza) at the top. Admittedly, the sky was a boring shade of gray all day with intermittent rain, so Joel didn’t shoot much. He was able to get some interesting people shots, window boxes and architectural details. The views around the winery we visited were amazing- endless Tuscan hills in the background and vines everywhere! Of course the wine was quite good too... Ciao!

www.joelwolfson.com

A Rainy Day

Although the weather has gotten quite rainy, we’re making the best of it. I have to give Joel credit for continuing to get great photos under less than perfect conditions... I guess that’s part of what he’ll be teaching in the workshop! Of course, one of our favorite things about Italy is the food and wine- and we’re certainly making the best of that! Today, we visit a walled city and a local winery... we haven’t decided who’s driving today!

www.joelwolfson.com

Toscana

We visited a medieval village nearby yesterday and drove around the countryside... beautiful. We're supposed to get more rain today, but we've got umbrellas and it is no less beautiful in the rain- just wet! While driving on some back roads yesterday we saw some local cuisine as well- wild boars- which we later sampled in some pasta sauce for dinner! Quite tasty...

www.joelwolfson.com

Morning in Pienza

We're staying in Pienza, which is in the Val d'Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage site- this is what it looks like... very storybook. Through UNESCO, development here is very restricted, so it looks much the same as it has for centuries. We consider ourselves very lucky to be here. Now that we've recovered from jetlag, I think we'll do some more exploring. Ciao for now.